BUI: Bui Power Authority Embark on Tree Planting

The Director, General Services Department of the Bui Power Authority(BPA), Wumbilla Salifu, has called on the people of Bui and its surrounding communities not to just plant trees as Ghana marks Greening Ghana Day but also resolve to nurture the trees to full maturity. Mr. Wumbilla also challenged the locals to keep planting trees to make the Bui area a green city. Mr. Wumbilla was speaking as the BPA joined the people of its resettled communities to participate in the Greening Ghana Programme at Bui.

The Greening Ghana clarion call reverberating around the country is borne out of the need to take action to ameliorate the effects of climate change, which is already being felt in Ghana. Within less than a century, Ghana has used up over 80 percent of its forest cover. Places once heavily forested have now become grasslands plunging Ghana into the throes of Climate Change.  This is best illustrated by the situation where the rains have not been forthcoming although we are deep into the rainy season.  Ghana is therefore taking steps to plant trees aggressively to conserve the environment under the Greening Ghana Initiative.   

And for it to be a success, there are lessons to be learned from the BPA's afforestation effort. The BPA as part of the need to protect the Ecosystem of the Bui Generating Station and its reservoir came up with the Forest Resource Enhancement Programme.  Under it, the Authority has since 2012 planted 420 acres with species like Teak, Mahogany, Accacia, and Coconut. The Deputy Director, General Services of the BPA, Chrisentus Kuunifaa, who led the afforestation effort encouraged the general public to come on board to make the Greening Ghana effort a success.  

The BPA as part of the Greening Ghana Programme joined forces with the Resettled Communities for the tree-planting effort.  Although 400 seedlings have been procured, only a few were planted symbolically due to lack of rains. A small durbar preceded the tree planting. Mr Kuunifaa, reinforced the message on the importance of trees. He said it is in the best interest of the people of the Bui area as it will protect the reservoir they fish on, and also promote agriculture.

 Representatives of the Bui Resettlement Community, the Assembly Man, Amos Kokoti And the Chief of Bui called on their people to commit to the protection of trees and help make the Greening Ghana initiative a success by nurturing the trees planted. Owing to dryness of the area due to lack of rain, only a symbolic planting of trees was done by the dignitaries.  Later in an interview, the Chief of Bui Nana Kwadwo Wuo, made a plea to his people to put their best foot forward when it comes protection of the trees planted and the environment in general.

GBCs John Sam Arthur